Official: Netflix buys David Fincher's 'House of Cards'

It’s official: Netflix is going all-in the TV series game, buying House of Cards. The David Fincher series starring Kevin Spacey will be made available to the company’s 20 million members in late 2012.

“The gripping, serialized one-hour drama has become a very important part of the Netflix experience,” said Netflix chief content officer Ted Sarandos. “David Fincher’s unique vision, the indelible performances of Kevin Spacey, and the original version of House of Cards all have a big following among our members, giving the series a very good chance of becoming a fan favorite.”

Netflix committed to 26 episodes (or two 13-episode seasons) produced by MRC, with Fincher directing the pilot and executive-producing the series. House of Cards is based on a book and BBC miniseries; the U.S. version follows an ambitious politician (Spacey) with his eye on the presidency.